Living Jack
by PinkyandtheBrainfan88
Summary: A long Fanfiction about the life of Jack BEFORE and AFTER the film! I hope you enjoy this. :D Please comment and give me constructive criticism. By the way, to BrettB, who asked whether a certain issue would be resolved in the story... Maybe it will, maybe it won't. ;-) You'll have to find out. All part of the suspense!
1. Chapter 1

**Living Jack: Part 1**

Life was living, breathing, enjoying the world, impressing women and making _much_ money. Life was success, life was sadness, life was learning, life was taxing. Jack Skippington knew this, even though he was a very young man. With a head topped by choppy black hair, a long, tall, thin figure and wide, bright eyes, he impressed everyone he met, making just as many enemies in his day-to-day business as friends.

Skippington was off to Harvard University, to study Psychology. He was fascinated by the human brain, human reactions and human feelings. As a child, he had had a mixture of happy and unhappy, peaceful and frightening experiences and was eager to learn more about other peoples' experiences and reactions.

His father was going to take him to his new University accommodation in the family's little blue car, with a boot so small his reasonable amount of suitcases only barely fit into the space. Stroking the paintwork on the car, Jack remembered all the times he had had with his family in this car, going for vacations down to the East Coast to the seaside, visiting Grandma Dentures and Grandpa Knuckles up in Belmont... All those times they'd sung car journey songs, all those times Jack and his little sister Daisy would punch each other and pull each other's hair, even though they loved each other really and would never _really _fight, only to get attention from parents who could not map-read in the front.

Sighing, Jack looked behind him to see his mother, with rimmed purple glasses and a shock of dyed red hair. Beside her was his sister, in thin blonde pigtails even though she was now fourteen and hair in ponytails was more "the thing." Jack's mother had her head to one side in a sad look, Daisy had her hands clumped and was fidgeting, unsure about a future without her brother around to play or chat with every night.

"Hi guys," Jack smiled, walking over to them. "Thanks for letting dad take me in our car."

"It's the _least _we could have done, sweetie," his mum told him warmly. "I have _no idea_ what life's going to be _like _without you."

"Oh mum, it's not as if I'm going to _die_ or anything," Jack reassured her. "I'll be coming on the train next Friday evening to check up on you, remember?"

"JACK!" cried Daisy, running over to give him a huge hug. She only came up to his shoulders, so her brother had to bend down a little to properly hug her.

"What am I going to _do_ instead of – I mean – _in between_ homework every night?" Daisy whined, looking into her brother's eyes imploringly.

"Hey, there's always the boy next door, I'm sure he'd _love _to chat to you _in between_ homework."

"But you _know _he's not _cute_! He's got those _awful _train-track braces!" moaned Daisy, stepping away from Jack and crossing her arms. Jack laughed, glad that he could result to jokes rather than thinking about how much he might miss his family.

He then received a hug from his doting mother, who was beginning to wish her son _had not _been accepted into Harvard after all, though it gave her family and him _much_ prestige.

"Don't forget to _floss_ as well as brush your teeth!"

"Yesh mum," Jack mouthed from his position on his _very _tall mother's chest as she hugged him even tighter.

"And _remember, always_ listen to your lecturer, even though flicking pieces of paper across the room is more preferable during lectures."

Managing to wriggle out of his mother's imprisoning hug, Jack gasped and replied, "Yes, _OK_, mum, I know." He finished, a little more politely, "Sometimes I think you care about me too much," and he smiled.

"We need to _go_!" His father called from the driver's seat. "Otherwise you're not going to get enough sleep tonight before your first lesson _tomorrow_!"

Jack nodded, waving to his mother and sister one last time. He loved them, he really did, but he could see the advantages of being away from them for longer periods of time as well.

"_Goodbye_!" he called. "I'll see you on Friday!"

"Bye sweetie!" shouted Jack's mum.

"B-bye bro," whispered Daisy, more unhappy at his departure than she had thought she would be.

Reversing in a worrying skid, Jack's dad manoeuvred out of the driveway, disappearing around a block to leave Daisy and her mother by themselves, for what seemed like the first time.

University had been just as Jack had hoped. He was not only enjoying learning his subject and revising for tests, but he had met and talked to many good looking _and _intelligent girls, had gone out with a party of his fellow lad students to a local bar and had explored the grounds thoroughly, finding the best places to hide if the opportunity ever arose. Though Jack seemed very confident, he was very suspicious of dangerous people and, though he was not a coward, liked to make himself feel secure by knowing where and if there would be any hiding places to save himself from questionable people.

He already had a small group of friends who genuinely liked him. Luckily, Jack liked them in return. Unfortunately, a "rival" of this group, an older man by the name of Manuel Finkel-Kleine, had already formed a strong dislike to Jack, taken aback by his confident, tall posture and unusual enthusiasm for the study of Psychology. Most lads of Jack's age were only fond of the social side of University and passing exams, but Jack talked at great length of his admiration for Freud, his fascination with the execution of research done in Experimental Psychology, as well as hundreds of other little things that he was interested in or he wished to know more about in reference to what he was studying. Manuel studied _him_ closely at _every_ opportunity. He had perturbed Jack a little by sitting _next_ to him during a lecture, but this time, Mister Finkel-Kleine tried a more subtle approach. In between lectures, without Jack's knowing, Mister Finkel-Kleine tracked him down, from his accommodation to the grounds, to a dormitory of one of the girls, to the college eating room and so on. Like Jack, Manuel took great pleasure in finding out more about other human beings and the practice of researching _Jack Skippington_ was _no _exception.

It was Friday afternoon and Jack's last lecture of the week was in exactly an hour's time. After that, he would go down to the train station and travel for a few long hours to see his family, who would be preparing one of his favourite meals for him: pumpkin soup followed by chicken breast cooked in _ginger sauce_. _Mmm-mmm._ Wonderful!

Swinging his bag over his shoulder, he began his walk to the dormitory of a lovely young girl called Yvonne, who had invited him over for a little cup of _coffee_. Where this was going, Jack was not absolutely sure, but even if it was only a chat, it would still be a lovely way to spend an hour before his last Friday lecture. Even people who had skipped Psychology at school would not have any doubts about Jack's feelings and excitement about this meeting.

After Jack dutifully followed the yellow gravel path around the side of one of the college buildings, he happened to walk _straight_ into Manuel, who jumped in front of him, standing up on tiptoe, which was surprisingly intimidating for Jack considering the former man only came up to his elbows.

"_Jack Sss-Skippington_," hissed Manuel.

"Y-y-yes," Jack replied, a little awkwardly. "What seems to be the problem?"

Mister Finkel-Kleine looked menacingly up at his younger adversary. "_You_, as it turns out. You sad, _arrogant_ little _whelp!_"

Jack blinked in surprise. It was not often he had been approached by one of his enemies and it was not often he had been disliked _this much_.

"I – I'm sorry we haven't seen _eye-to-eye_," Jack apologized genuinely, "But I _certainly cannot _understand _why _I should be such a _problem_."

Manuel started shaking with anger and thrill. "Constantly saying _how much_ you love _Psychology_, how _this _interests you so much and how _that _fascinates you to no end... How can you be genuine, you young little _idiot_?"

Jack was becoming provoked. "_Manuel_, I would rather we didn't speak to each other again. I have _important_ business to attend to, so I will bid you – good day."

Jack attempted to stride around the smaller man, but Manuel leaped into his route again, his hands curling into tight, white-knuckled fists.

"I _don't think_ you quite understand. Let us _fight_. Only _one _of us can stay in this place and that _one _will be _me_!" Manuel cackled with psychotic madness.

Jack's eyes widened with surprise and fright. "You're _mad_, man, absolutely _mad_!"

"_BACK _AGAINST THAT _WALL_!" Manuel shouted, pointing to the wall of the college building.

Jack peered back to it nervously, but decided to do as the man asked, hoping that the sooner he had beat him in a fight, the sooner he could have coffee and a chat with Yvonne.

Jack waited for Manuel to strike, his hands also curled into fists. Jack was very surprised to see, that instead of _punching _him, Manuel was readying himself to _knife _him. Very slowly, with a sadistic grin on his little face, Mister Finkel-Kleine was fingering a pocket-knife out of his smart trouser pocket.

Jack suddenly started to shiver with fright and realization, but was too paralysed to think straight, or to _do_ anything. Manuel was so close, that if Jack tried to run, he could still be severely hurt, but then if he stayed, he would be _even more_ hurt. Jack just _hoped _that Manuel was poor in the area of anatomy.

Unfortunately, as the man, cackling, ran over to Jack and stabbed him straight in the heart, he revealed himself to be an expert of anatomy after all. Groaning, Jack slid down the wall like a greasy, crumpling newspaper, looking sadly at his _wonderful,_ departing _world_, as he closed his eyes -.

Forever?

_Wait..._

What was _this_?

This _black space_? This soft, dark earth sifting through his fingers?

But Heaven – if Heaven existed – was supposed to be cloudy, was it not?

So...

Where was this?

Jack tried to look at his surroundings, until his mind adapted to the quiet, empty, _small_ atmosphere around him so much that it appeared to be the _only _thing that existed. Harvard, vacations to the seaside, time with his family, schooldays, schoolwork, pretty girls – it was all slipping away as if it were being swept away over the Niagra Falls, never to be seen again.

Jack stood up, wondering if there was anything else – or _anyone_ else – in this dark, ethereal place. He tried walking forward into the murky blackness, seeing more clearly as he walked. First, he saw was symmetrically grey-stone gravestones surrounding his path. Second, he was surrounded by long black metal sticks with _pumpkins _stuck onto them. Pumpkins... That was _lovely_, adding a bright orange hue to this black-grey place. It seemed to remind Jack of _something, _but something he could not quite put his _bony finger_ on... _Bony finger? _He _knew _he had never had that before. For the first time since he could remember, Jack checked his body. It was all skeleton, including the bony, round skull he could feel on his head. What surprised him a little more was the empty space where his eyes should be.

"Oh well," he said out loud. "Who cares if I'm a skeleton? I can't remember what it was like before, so I think I'll get used to this quite quickly." He smiled, laughing, taking in more and more of his surroundings, as if his seemingly impossible vision capacity was increasing by the minute. He could see rolling hills, more and more gravestones and pumpkins, withered or dark plants and above – on the highest hill – a large gate-door surrounded by stone pillars, topped with stone cockerels holding up a stone skull. This was a spooky world, a _dark _world – wait – with a huge _yellow moon _behind. A b_eautiful_ huge moon. Maybe this world would not be so bad after all.

But then – was Jack the only one here? Jack _loved _company, he enjoyed being with _people. _He could not _remember_ enjoying spending time with people, but he _knew_ it was something he cherished. Maybe this place was just an empty graveyard and he would find other people elsewhere, but Jack, with a sudden passion, was _determined _to _find someone_.


	2. Chapter 2

**Living Jack: Part 2**

Jack walked up to the spooky gate-door in front of him, wondering if there was any way he could open it, or whether he could find anything _wonderful_ on the other side. To Jack's surprise, like an automatic door, it lifted up slowly as he came close to it. Jack paused with wide eye-spaces as he watched its ascent upwards. As it stayed open, he quickly rushed through, in case it would close before him. Looking back, he saw the door move down slowly and once the "gates" touched the ground, Jack investigated his new surroundings.

He saw, to his great surprise, an array of houses and _streets_. There did not seem to be anyone about, but this level of civilization was _certainly_ a start. Jack made his way around the town, admiring its fountain with _green_ water, its large house with a circular room in the top tower, the array of gargoyles on many of the other houses and meeting houses. Jack also noticed remnants of pumpkins and sweets scattered across the ground.

"What world _is _this?" Jack asked himself out loud. A few seconds later, he heard some muffled voices in the distance. Suddenly scared of having to speak to a new person from a _new world_, Jack hid behind an elaborate bat sculpture. Bending down and crouching with his long legs, Jack peered round cautiously and noticed two _very _strange figures coming down the street.

One was almost _triangular _shape, with a jovial pink face, black attire and a _very _thin, long hat that should in theory have toppled over with every wobbly step the man took on his small legs. Beside him, was a brown, _sticky_ man with large yellow eyes. The two seemed to be talking about this town, but Jack could not distinguish their exact words until they were much closer.

"Well, we _could _make the town into a historic monument, except..." Suddenly, the triangular man, who had been looking jovial earlier, literally _switched_ his facial expression to a blue, unhappy one to continue his sentence. "Except – we don't get any tourist income."

"We could just recycle the _materials _here and use them to build _new _houses in our _newer towns," _the sticky man suggested.

"What a _wonderful_ idea!" the triangular man cried, his happy expression back on again. "Nothing like _recycling_ to sustain the planet's resources!"

"You're cheerful about _everything_, aren't you?" the sticky man asked his companion.

"_Almost_!" the the man in black attire replied. He suddenly paused and changed his expression again as his eye caught Jack, who had not been hiding very well behind the statue.

"_Oh! Oh dear... _I thought we'd _cleared out_ all the villagers..."

"Er – _excuse me_," Jack interrupted, standing up and coming out from behind the statue. "I don't actually live here, sir. In fact, I've only just arrived in this strange world. I'd appreciate it if you could tell me _where _I am?"

The Mayor looked up in surprise, his jovial look quickly coming back to him. "A _dead visitor_? From _Earth_?"

"Y – yes..." replied Jack, trying to remember his old life. "I _think _that's what it's called."

The man in black attire kept beaming and waddled over to shake the newcomer's bony hand. "Pleased to meet you, Earth-comer, I am the Mayor of Halloween Town. I see you've come properly attired and skeletoned, if there is such an adjective!"

"I'm not sure if there is, but what does it matter?" Jack happily replied and he, the Mayor and the sticky guy laughed.

"By the way," the Mayor added, clearing his throat, "What is your name, newcomer?"

"Erm..." Jack paused, unsure of who he was. He knew his name was _Jack_, but he could not remember all that much else. "Skittington... Skillington... No..." The Mayor managed to maintain a pleasurable expression as Jack tried to sift through the debris that was his nearly rotted memory. Then suddenly, he was _sure _he had hit on the right answer. "SKELLINGTON," he announced. "_JACK _SKELLINGTON._.."_

The Mayor continued to smile and lifted up his arms in ecstacy. "JACK _SKELLINGTON!_ What a _perfect_ name for skeleton man!"

As Jack listened as the Mayor praised him, a doubt was forming in his mind. Jack Skellington... It seemed too – convenient – somehow. Maybe it _sounded_ like Skellington, but it actually was seomething else?

Oh well, the answer was unlikely to turn up soon, so Jack just continued his new identity.

To Jack's pleasure, the Mayor and the sticky man offered to take him out of the village to their home, Halloween City, seeing as they needed to go home anyway. On the way, Jack was told there were many _wonderful_ things about Halloween City, it had high Gothic buildings with live Gargoyles and proper _flying _buttresses that propelled the buildings off the ground. The citizens also had a few skyscrapers, that were almost invisible at night because of the way their slate black facades matched the darkness of the night sky. In the day, they stuck out starkly and if you were faint of heart, it could send so many chills down your spine you would be sent bed for fear you would _catch_ a chill.

Of course, Jack Skellington felt no fear at Halloween Town at its _scary _attributes, once he and his companions arrived there. In fact, as it was so _new_ and _wonderful_, he _revelled_ in the pumpkins, the ghosts, the tall buildings around him.

The Mayor lived in a very large Estate, just on the outskirts of the City, with a large lawn graveyard drive leading up to it. There were so many little maggots and spiders about the graveyard that they nearly managed to crawl into the little black car in which the three and their chauffeur were travelling.

"You _must _try our live _electric _eels for starter, Mister Skellington, as they will add a _spark_ to the palate," the Mayor bellowed. "After that, for main course, we have several large _boar heads_ with _mealworm_ sprinkle to sample from."

"It all sounds _wonderful_, Mayor," Jack smiled gleefully, his thin stomach rumbling at the thought of sustenance. "_What_, may I ask, is for _dessert?_"

"_Oooh,_ that's the best _part_!" the Mayor announced excitedly. "Trick-or-treater's sweets – with hardened snail slime candy canes!"

Everyone, even the Chauffeur, shouted, "Hooray!" and Jack could hardly _wait_ to try such unusual sounding food. He could not remember _exactly_ what he had eaten on earth, but he was pretty sure it was not _nearly_ as interesting as what had just been described.

The car was parked just outside a large, imposing building with an elaborate drawbridge entrance and a deep moat, where Jack could see some Plesiosaur-like monsters poking their heads out and attacking each other.

"Well,_ home_ sweet _home_," the Mayor shouted gladly, just managing to hobble out of the car without tipping over onto his face. "Welcome to Moat Palace."

"_Glorious _name, _glorious_ palace," Jack genuinely replied, awed by its detail and grandeur, although he was more interested in the idea of a good meal. He had not eaten a _thing_ since he had arrived in this strange world, not _even_ a bite of pumpkin – and _that_ was readily available.

The sticky guy walked ahead of Jack and the Mayor, calling up to a guard to drop the drawbridge. Slowly, with several creaks and a few bats flying out that had been disturbed from their slumber, the three, followed by the Chauffeur, made their way to the dining room.

The interior of the building was mostly very dark, but Jack was taken aback by the blood-red velvet chairs and drapes lined along the sides of the entrance hall. The rest was just grey or black stone, with several grey snakes sliding along the floor, black millipedes wriggling across the wall and spiders dangling on webs that were hanging from the ceiling.

When they entered the dining room, Jack was pleased to find that they would not be sharing their dinner with _so many_ animals as they would be if they had eaten in the hallway, but the atmosphere was still dark and spooky enough to appeal to Jack's new tastes. The huge dining table, which could seat about fifty people at a time, was made of black, heavy ebony and had the occasional visible woodworm inside.

The three guests all sat down around one end of the table – along with the Chauffeur. The Mayor sat at the head, which made sense to Jack. The party did not have to wait long for the first course, as the Mayor, a few hours before, had sent a message via raven to the cooks in the Palace to prepare his favourite three courses for him and his fellow two men – and the Chauffeur.

The electric eels that made up the starter, though alive, were very still from fright of the terrifying cooks downstairs and from fright at the prospect of being eaten. Jack was at first perturbed at the idea of eating live, innocent eels, but he was not sure why. However, when he saw the Mayor, the Sticky Guy and the Chauffeur cutting into theirs without any qualms, Jack copied them.

He agreed with the Mayor, the eel _did_ add a spark to the palate. Luckily, as Jack would have done when he was a human, did not feel any unpleasant effects of the electricity in his body, especially there were no internal organs left to damage.

He was introduced to the concept of ground beetle and cricket by the Mayor, who told Jack that these were common condiments for food. _Condiments_. Hmm, that was a funny word. Jack tried a little of each with his last bites of eel and found they both added even _more _flavour to the dish.

There was quite a long interval between starter and main course, during which the Mayor told Jack more about the land of Halloween. He told Jack about the main cities: Skull City, New Pumpkin City, Ghost City and Slime City. They were mostly very far away from Halloween City, which was the _most_ important city. Almost all of the legal and financial proceedings for the land of Halloween went on here and it was also the basis for culture and _style,_ every other city modelled their fashions, architecture and attractions on those that had been in Halloween City for _centuries_.

"And how did the Halloween World _begin_?" Jack eventually asked.

The Mayor's face, which had been jovial for such a long time, shocked Jack now as it turned to a more worried expression. "Erm... I'm _not sure_. I'm – I'm not very good at _ancient _history."

"_I _know the beginning of _Halloween_," the Chauffeur announced in a slow, spooky manner.

"_You do_?" Everyone asked as they looked around to the insect man in surprise.

"_Yes_," the man hissed, his eyes on the ends of antennas twitched eagerly. He leaned forward with his beetle-like arms and began.

"We do not know the _exact date _of when Halloween land began, but it was about _one thousand years ago._ A group of people on Earth called – the _Irish_ – began to believe that there were spirits in another world, who could come out of their world on _one day of the year_ and _haunt them_."

"But it seems that there _are_!" interrupted Jack.

"HUSH!" the Chauffeur shouted. "I will answer your question _in time_. Well, there was a _Druid_ among these people, who _despised _them and wished to go, where _we now _belong... To the _dark side_."

The Mayor and the Sticky Guy laughed in an evil manner, Jack joined them, until the Chauffeur, captivated and engrossed by his own story, continued.

"He had the power of _magic_. With this, he began to create a world outside of _Earth, _the land of _Halloween_, so that he could create spirits who could haunt Earth _in time_ for the _right day_. So what was actually _superstition_, would become _fact_."

Even Jack was starting to become engrossed with the story. He bent forwards so much he almost knocked down the ground beetle and cricket pots in front of him.

"Go on," he encouraged the Chauffeur, who had taken a pause.

"You _know _what happens next, from what we've told you _already_," the Chauffeur announced. "But I will let you hear it anyway. _Ghosts, vampires, pumpkins, SO MANY _HORRIBLE _creatures_, entered Earth, that many people died of fright, that night, on a day that would eventually be called, _All Hallow's Eve _and then _HALLOWEEN._"

"What was it called _then_?" Jack asked curiously.

"Unfortunately," sighed the Chauffeur, "Many records from that time have been damaged due to age and overenthusiastic bookworm munching and breeding. But we _ think_ that it was called something... Like... Sadhain? We are not sure."

"Oooh," Jack responded, awed. The fact that a _human _created this world was an extraordinary idea. And he _seemed _to remember that he had _thought_, as a human, that there was _no _magic in the world. HA _HA_! Well he had made a mistake _there_, had not he?

**I hope you're still enjoying this. Please tell me if there's any way the story could go or what characters I should feature if you want. I already have a vague plot line in my head, but I'd love some advice from fellow fan-fiction writers and/or readers.**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Sorry!**_

_**I realized a while ago that I reposted Part 1 as Part 2! This error has been rectified, so you can now read both parts 2 and 3! :-D**_

**Living Jack: Part 3**

Just then, the main course arrived, brought in by the chefs, who were mixture of witches and insect people. Jack smiled with excitement as a large boar head on a plate, with mealworm sprinkle scattered on top, was placed in front of him. He, the sticky man, the Mayor – and the Chauffeur – started quickly, digging in with their ebony knives and forks supplied especially for the meal.

Jack was quite pleased that the mealworm had been diced for sprinkle, he might not have wanted to try live, wriggling mealworms _just _yet. The flavour it added to the large, fearsome boar head, though, was quite spicy and _very_ tasty.

"So, Jack," the Mayor announced as he ate. "What are you going to do here in Halloween City?"

Jack nearly choked on his mouthful of boar meat, he was so surprised at the question. On pondering the query, he realized he had no idea. As the skeleton paused and tried to think of an answer, the Mayor's expression changed.

Eventually, Jack replied, "I'm sorry Mayor, I have _no idea_. I've only just arrived and I have more idea about this world already – but – I have no concept of what I _can _do."

The Mayor's expression changed. "Oh of _course_, how silly of me! Why, there are _many _jobs you can apply for! My good friend Winifred the Witch is hiring more people for her coffin insurance company... Erm..." The Mayor scratched his hat as he thought. "I've heard they need some more _moat workers_ at the Baron's castle if you're more interested in physical work..."

There was a pause, so far Jack was not sure if he wanted to go with _either_ of the mentioned career options. Then, the sticky guy suggested,

"Our yearly Halloween Act is nearing his end. He's a skeleton, like you, Rattling Bones, his name is. You could take his place."

The Mayor's expression changed again and he yelped. "But Jack's had _no training_! And Rattling Bones is going to retire _very soon_!"

"But how many other available skeletons _are there_?" the sticky man asked the Mayor, who did not respond, just looked awkwardly down at his food. "_Exactly,_ most of the people from Earth nowadays are _zombies_, skeletons are _much _more special and in many ways, much more _scary_. Zombies just have an organised, programmed mind, skeletons are individuals and can put their own spin on things."

"I don't understand," Jack interrupted, a little put off that he was not being included in this conversation that was so central to _him_. "How come skeletons are more lively than zombies? Who is _Rattling Bones?_"

The sticky guy sighed, trying to calm down. "OK, I'm sorry, we shouldn't be so hasty. Rattling Bones, every year, is our main candidate for going to Earth every Halloween to _scare _people."

"Scare people?" Jack asked. For some reason, there was something in the back of his mind which was telling him this was _not _a good idea, but he did not know why.

"Yes, to keep the Halloween spirit alive. Obviously, of course, other spirits come out on All Hallows' Eve, but skeletons... As I've already said, they're _special_. For some reason, you guys can act _really scary, _meaning you are our best Halloween performers. There are so few of you around, that we only can hold one position for Head Skeleton at a time."

"Currently, that position is held by the _horrible_ Rattling Bones!" the Mayor told Jack, his jovial face having returned.

"Yes," the sticky man agreed, clearing his throat. "Rattling Bones is a very old skeleton who scares people _all over the world_ on Halloween. It's such an important job that he spends practically _all year_ preparing for it. So it's not like you're going to be bored for 364 days a year or 365 days a year, if it's a leap year."

"That's good," Jack nodded, continuing to listen.

"But as I've mentioned, he's getting tired. Even people in the world of Halloween decay, grow old, to a certain extent. We have no doubt that Rattling Bones will live for many more years', but it's not likely he's going to do any more Halloween performances after next Halloween, which is in just over a month's time. You see, Rattling Bones has been around for _three hundred years._"

"_Three hundred _years?" shouted Jack in surprise. "And you're saying that _I _could be the next Rattling Bones?" he asked, a little more quietly.

Leaning forward, the sticky man replied, "_Yes_."

For the rest of the meal, the Mayor kindly talked Jack through the basics of Rattling Bones' work, but to the new Jack this information sounded anything _but _basic. The idea of slipping into a _particular type _of gravestone to travel from one place to another, the way that you had to hold scary skeleton staffs at a _specific_ angle, along with many other concepts and rules, boggled Jack's mind very quickly. He was distracted by the taste of the rest of his Boar head and by the sweet taste and smooth texture of the snail-slime candy canes and the trick-or-treater's sweets, in between these meals he was slightly more receptive to the overload of information. Eventually, Jack felt it had to stop.

"Er – excuse me Mayor, thank you _so_ much for taking me through all these processes. It's _very _kind of you to give me a briefing, but I'm afraid there's a lot to take in and I'm tired. I have not slept for a few hours, I must rest."

The Mayor's expression changed. "But that's only the beginning and even _I _know more about the ways of Rattling Bones. But yes, I _have _kept you from your bed. Hopefully in the morning you'll be well rested and ready to learn more about Rattling Bones. That is – of course... If you wish to take his job?"

Jack paused, his eye holes wide as he tried to decide finally whether he wanted to take on the task or not. From what the Mayor had told him, he figured there was an _enormous_ amount to learn for a year and a month's time, but then, there was something _appealing_ about the job... Jack would be famous, he vaguely remembered that he _had,_ in his previous life, wanted to be famous. He would be respected and Jack knew that he _loved _being respected, it made him feel secure and happy. Also, the occupation would allow him to learn _more_ about the ways of the world of Halloween, so his curiosity would be satisfied.

Jack eventually cleared his throat, stood up from his chair, placed his long arms out in front on the table and announced,

"_Yes_! My new friends, _I_ will honour Rattling Bones. I will _continue_ his role as the primary _terror_ of the Halloween World and I wish to make _everyone here_, every ghoul, every vampire, every sticky guy, every Mayor – every Chauffeur – proud of who they are, _proud_ of the _horror_ of _Halloween_!"

While his audience clapped and cheered at this speech and the Mayor's expression changed to his jovial one, Jack let out a _wicked, frightening_ laugh that was let out from his body like chuckling demons. His laugh was light, yet _powerful_, expressive of his new personality and mind. Jack was _powerful_, the new Jack – was _everything_.

So, the next day, after Jack had enjoyed a breakfast of grasshopper-infested poached egg, he, the Mayor, the sticky guy – and the Chauffeur – travelled to Rattling Bone's house, a mansion near the centre of Halloween city.

On their way, Jack noticed the number and variety of people and creatures bustling about, going to work and selling things in the street. He waved at a few zombie and witch children, who could not help smiling at Jack's pleasant, jovial face.

Eventually, the Chauffeur parked the car a few steps away from Rattling Bones' fence. As the four walked up to the skeleton's front gate, a zombie dog peered over the edge of it, barking and growling fiercely.

The Mayor's expression turned to one of blue-ness and dissatisfaction. "Oh _dear_, it's Rattling Bones' _dog_! He's the fiercest, _scariest _dog in the whole of Halloween City!"

Jack Skellington, however, did not seem too bothered by the beast, though, granted, he knew nothings of its violent tendencies. Every Halloween creature could be hurt by the dog, as he had very good pouncing tactics and a venomous bite which could dissolve anything from bone to undead flesh.

The skeleton paced over to the dog, whispering, "Here good doggy. It's OK. It's OK doggy." The Mayor, the Sticky Guy – and the Chauffeur – watched in horror as Jack gently stretched out his paw towards the dog's jaws. At first the dog growled and readied to strike, but something seemed to calm him down and he sniffed Jack's hand, then allowing Jack to stroke him a little.

The Mayor's expression changed and the Sticky Guy and Chauffeur gasped with amazement.

"Wow, this is _incredible_! You _do _seem to have some amazing powers, Jack Skellington!" announced the Mayor, astounded. "Rattling Bones _will _be impressed."

Jack smiled, then turned his head back to Bones' house, to notice a skeleton, a little like him, except dressed in more old-fashioned, red attire, coming out of the house, needing a walking stick for some steps.

"Who _goes there_?" asked the raspy voice of the skeleton in a menacing tone.

Jack, shy all of a sudden, could not speak to this amazing old skeleton. Luckily, the Mayor stepped forward to do the introductions.

"Well, _hello_ Rattling Bones. Sorry to intrude, but we are here for some business which we would like to discuss with you – if you are not occupied, _of _course. Firstly, this is Jack Skellington, a new arrival in the Land of Halloween."

Rattling Bones squinted his eye holes while looking at Jack, who cocked his head slightly in response and shyly smiled.

"A _new arrival,_ you say?" Mr Bones questioned. "Is there are chance that this young man would... Like to take over my place when I retire?"

Jack stuttered, "I – I've only heard about what you do – your profession, I mean – yesterday. I – I was merely considering – s-sir."

Rattling Bones smiled. "Nice to see someone humble and polite in this day and age, a humble and polite new person, that is," he added, giving eye-socket contact to the Mayor, the Sticky Guy and even the Chauffeur. "Come in, come in. By the _way_, _Jack Skellington,_ I noticed that you were managing to tame my dog, Merry."

Jack tried not to laugh at the thought that the dog was called _Merry_, but simply nodded. "He's – a nice dog, sir."

Rattling Bones beamed. "He's not particularly friendly around strangers, but because of your similarity to me and because of your gentleness, she seems to have taken a liking to you."

Sure enough, as Rattling Bones opened his gate, when Merry looked up to Jack, he wagged his tail happily and had no objection to the visitor giving him another stroke on the forehead. While the Mayor, the Sticky Guy - and the Chauffeur – were rather nervous and shaky as they walked up to Bones' house, Jack walked side by side with the powerful skeleton, making polite but interested conversation with him. Both Rattling Bones and Jack Skellington found new friends in each other's quietly chatty company.


End file.
